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Value Addition, the silver bullet in Agribusiness My experience during the Rural Outreach Programme (ROP) ISFM/SLM Value Addition Trade Fair and Exhibition in Mbale, Vihiga County-KENYA on July 20, 2018
Michael M. Mugendy
(B.Sc. AgEcon., CPA II)-YOUTH ROP Intern and Social Media Strategist
Rural Outreach Programme (ROP)
has been implementing its second
phase of the Alliance for Green
Revolution Africa (AGRA) funded
Integrated Soil Fertility Management
(ISFM) project in Vihiga and
Kakamega counties, Western Kenya.
The project focused on scaling up the
smallholder incomes, and food security and nutrition through multi–grain
multiplication of staple food crops. To that regard, ROP collaborated with the AGRA
to plan for an open value addition and nutrition exhibition day for farmers, stakeholders
and partners to display their products and services, share knowledge, network and
explore market opportunities. The function took place in Vihiga–Mbale Municipal
grounds on July 20, 2018. The theme was “Taking soil fertility management
technology to scale using value addition approach through strengthening
smallholder farmers in value addition by linking them to profitable markets and
financial institutions”. Over 750 farmers attended the Trade Fair with 40 farmer
groups exhibiting various ISFM farming techniques and resultant products trained on
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by ROP extension officers. On display were the various value
addition techniques on crops such as soya, cassava, pumpkins,
bananas, maize and potatoes.
Soil health is crucial in addressing sustainability aspects of
agriculture. It is important that the issue was amongst the key
focus areas during the trade fair. For the first time ever, ROP,
in partnership with Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research
Organization (KALRO-Alupe), in collaboration with The
Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Agricultural Green
Revolution Alliance for Africa (AGRA) set out to establish
Integrated Soil Fertility Management/Sustainable Land
Management (ISFM/SLM) in Western Kenya. The program introduced soya farming, a
nutrients-dense pulse that establishes symbiotic relationship with the host crops in the
farm (maize).
I was overwhelmed by the farmers’ uptake of value added activities in Western Kenya.
Farmers who displayed their products portrayed a wealth of knowledge and potent.
However, they needed to work on packaging of their value added products. Prof. Ruth
K Oniang’o, Founder of ROP, identified that the challenge of packaging was linked to
lack of sufficient funds and technical support. According to Miller & Da Silva [2],
there is need to support value chain development through policy interventions,
institutions and services that will create an enabling business environment to leverage
access to financial services in smallholder agriculture.
In my interaction with key agripreneurs from the region, I learnt that market
penetration is still very low. Stella Mboyo from Liberation Community Development
Initiative in Kakamega County stated that their market is largely local and within their
county; they produce and sell Moringa Smoothies, and chia seeds that are rich in
omega-3 fatty acids. Market penetration requires product launch and establishment of a
brand that lasts. Branding includes packaging products in a way that would easily
attract target customers. Margaret Amimo, Founding Director of BEDCA Enterprises
Figure 1: Myself taking a closer look at the organic fertilizer processed by Ichinga Farmers Group from Hamisi Sub-County in Vihiga.
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that deals with Banana value chain, reiterated
similar problem; her market share was
largely the local farmer markets and farm-
gate customers.
I listened with admiration to Salim, a
member of Ichinga farmers' group from
Hamisi Sub-County in Vihiga explain to me
systematic procedure of how they established
their vermi-culture enterprise. The group was formed to boost market competitiveness.
They faced challenges but understood how collective action, which according to
Markelova et al., [1], could help them address the problems or barriers to market
access. Among other products, Ichinga farmers group produces organic fertilizer,
which costs USD 25.00 a kilo and liquid version of the same that goes for USD 3.00 a
liter. It was encouraging to learn that farmers popularly understood the need for
agricultural sustainability, an aspect of ISFM/SLM model and that they adopted the
grapevine communication system in spreading the “gospel”.
Farmers face the risk of exploitation in several ways: some with and some without
their knowledge. This one occurs mostly in measurement of farm produce against price.
A number of times potatoes farmers’ exploitation has been highlighted by mainstream
media [4] and social media users in Kenya. Potatoes are often measured in 90 Kg
sacks; however, farmers have been made to use modified sacks that carry more or less
than should be necessary.
Indigenous vegetable farmers who
crowd in the Western region of
Kenya lack standardized
measurement units for their
produce in the market and,
therefore, end up using bunches
and heaps which may not be
Figure 2: Salim from Ichinga Farmers group pauses for a photo beside their products. They focus on Soya value addition and production of organic fertilizer
Figure 3: Farmers being exploited by brokers who stash between 100 and 180 kilogram bags of the potatoes and buy it for as little as Sh800 [4]
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accurate. The County Executive Committee Member in Charge of Agriculture observed
that farmers in Vihiga County often faced losses due to excessive measurements and
advised that such losses could be countered by use of Kilograms as opposed to bunches
or heaps.
Professor Ruth Khasaya Oniang’o dedicated her life to improving health and nutrition
of the rural communities through the organization she founded 30 years ago-Rural
Outreach Program Africa (ROP). She championed and promoted cultivation and
consumption of African Leafy Vegetables (ALVs) such as the African Nightshade
(managu), amaranthus (terere), spider plant (saget) and slender leaf (mitoo) among
other popular traditional vegetables [3]. It emerged that poor farming practices reduced
production and eventually nutritive value of all crops, and so through partnerships, she
breathed life into the farmers again.
In its efforts to sustain income streams for rural families, ROP boosts agricultural
production efficiency through improved and gender sensitive farm mechanization.
Figure 6: ROP farmers design workshop (left), and jua kali metal worker (right)
Figure 7: ROP Prototypes of two of the technologies: the “double jembe” and the wheel hoe
Figure 4: Sketches of “ideal weeding tools” generated by farmer groups Figure 5: Farmers testing prototypes
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ROP has had an outreach to over 70,000 farmers in
Kenya with practical professional guidance through
different levels in the agriculture value chain. Farmers
have been empowered and are now confident enough
to train their fellow farmers. The seasoned nutrition
Professor stated that indigenous vegetables have a
medicinal value other than food use. She further
identified that agricultural stakeholders have been
focusing on increasing production per unit area and
diversification of farming enterprises. “Now, more
than ever, we need to encourage value addition” she added. Value addition increases
shelf life of products and as well the producer income. Farmers earn more when they
own most of the activities in the product chain rather than just selling raw products
from farm.
Prof. R. K. Oniang’o noted that women play a
crucial role in feeding children and men in
their families, hence their significance in
promoting nutrition in their respective rural
communities. The 2017 Africa Food Prize
Laureate observed that smallholder farmers
are the poorest, a population that mostly
consists of women. “Women should be the
main center of focus in order to tackle the
problem of malnutrition in our society today” she stated. It is true that rural women
need economic empowerment and training on family nutrition. ROP collaborated with
the government of the day for the entire period of its existence to inspire and empower
the rural farmers, especially youth and women, focusing on food and nutrition, how to
be sustainable in agribusiness and value addition. Prof. Oniang’o concluded with a call
for a multi-stakeholder partnership to work on packaging of value added products by
the rural farmers.
Figure 8: Electric motor machine to aid value addition of Soya for rural farmers in Vihiga County-Kenya, procured by ROP
Figure 9: Prof. Oniang’o looks on as Louis David, an intern from Nantes, France, and Roselydah Awinja mix fortified soy flour for baking.
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The county leadership led by the His Excellency Dr. Wilberforce Otichillo, the
governor of Vihiga County graced the trade fair and acknowledged the economic
importance of indigenous crops and livestock. Farmers (producers) and consumers
were encouraged to reconsider indigenous foods. Agribusiness trade fairs have been
focusing on agriculture companies and mostly centered on types of seed crops,
livestock breeds, agrochemicals, mechanization tools et cetera, from manufacturing
entities while little has been done to bring the central focus on farmers’ activities. ROP
championed such a trade a fair, emphasizing entirely on farmer value added activities.
The County boss was expressly impressed and promised to ensure regularization of
such events, at least once every year to encourage knowledge transfer, opportunities for
partnerships and market exploration. The Governor acknowledged that agribusiness
should be the center of focus as a tool of economic empowerment. Since Kenya
devolved agricultural function, county governments should be at the forefront of
promoting value addition through training, market expansion, facilitating
mechanization and infrastructural support. As such, they should be ready to learn from
those knowledgeable about best practices and approach to improve the livelihood
people.
I was moved by the improvised fabricated
hand tools for farming by engineering
technicians with the involvement of ROP
farmers; government needs to help in up
scaling such initiatives and facilitating market
expansion to reach out to more farmers. I was
encouraged by the fact that the governor
expressly admitted to have learnt more than
he had expected and pledged facilitation of
similar events in the future and invited
potential partners in market promotion, together with the Kenya National Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (KNCCI). “In agribusiness one must look for markets”, he
Figure 10: H.E. Dr. Otichilo (2nd left) and CECM Agriculture, Mr. Mbuni (3rd left) accompanied by Hon. Prof. Oniang'o of ROP (1st right) listen to ROP technician explain how the prototypes of two of the technologies: the “double jembe” and the wheel hoe work
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said. He was ready to join hands to facilitate markets for the farmer groups engaging in
value addition. It was encouraging to note that the county government planned to
utilize ICT facilities to establish an online marketing platform for Vihiga County to
freely market her farmers. The county government was also planning to launch in the
year 2019, an industrial park at Kaimosi where mass agricultural equipment production
will be the center of focus.
References
1. Markelova, H., Meinzen-Dick, R., Hellin, J., & Dohrn, S. (2009). Collective action
for smallholder market access. Food policy, 34(1), 1-7.
2. Miller, C., & Da Silva, C. (2007). Value chain financing in agriculture. Enterprise
Development and Microfinance, 18(2-3), 95-108.
3. ESIPISU, I. (2018). Queen of super vegetables. [online] Daily Nation. Available at:
https://www.nation.co.ke/business/seedsofgold/Queen-of-super-
vegetables/2301238-4172556-hoo0gfz/index.html [Accessed 27 Jul. 2018].
4. KIMUTAI, V. (2018). Farmers decry low earnings from potatoes. [online] Daily
Nation. Available at: https://www.nation.co.ke/counties/nakuru/Farmers-decry-low-
earnings-from-potatoes/1183314-4806056-format-xhtml-jqutr6/index.html
[Accessed 28 Jul. 2018].